Monday, 29 December 2014

In 2001 a gardener contacted Lewes police in Sussex claiming he'd been attacked by a cat which was "three times bigger than a domestic cat". He had disturbed the animal whilst clearing a thicket when the confrontation occurred; resulting in the man apparently grabbing the cat around the neck before it made off. Whether the incident actually happened we'll never really know, but here's the article in three parts for your perusal:

Thursday, 17 July 2014

'TRAIN passenger saw what he believes was a “puma” type cat.
Kevin Tully was travelling with his wife Amanda Zoe, 49, when he spotted what he believed to be a big cat near Southease railway station, between Newhaven and Lewes. Mr Tully, of Beacon Road, Seaford, said: “There was a big cat quite close to the railway line, nestling in next to a hedge.
“It was circling in the way cats tend to do before they settle down somewhere.
“What was really weird was that it was in a field of sheep. “The hairs on my neck stood up.
I did try to point it out to my wife but we had already gone past where it was.”
Mr Tully, aged 50, who is a technology teacher, told of the sighting after dog walker Dianne Lonnon came across a “spotty brown coloured cat” in nearby Cantercrow Hill in Denton, near Newhaven. Mrs Lonnon, who has been on safari twice, said she thought the cat looked like a leopard but that details were difficult to remember as she was so scared.
Her sighting was noted by a Sussex Police wildlife officer at the time.
Mr Tully believes he did not see a leopard. He said: “It didn’t look like a leopard, it was sleeker and smaller.
“It looked like a dirty puma to me. It was the size of a puma but it had markings on.
“My wife told me it must have been a big dog, but its movements were definitely those of a cat. I saw it for at least five seconds.”
Mr Tully used to live near Paignton Zoo in Devon.
He added: “I used to go and see the pumas there and funnily enough my brother used to look after one in the days that wild animals could be kept as pets.
“I didn’t report it because I thought people would reckon I was mad.”
Dozens of big cat sightings have been made to Sussex Police over the past decade, including a suspected sighting of a lion.'

Monday, 30 June 2014

Recent Sussex sighting from the Argus 24/6/2014: "A DOG walker dialled 999 to report seeing a leopard at a beauty spot.
Dianne Lonnon was walking her terrier-collie cross called James in Cantercrow Hill, Denton, near Newhaven, when they came across the “spotty brown coloured big cat” just in front of her.
Mrs Lonnon, 66, said: “I was just yards away.
“It was in front of us and looking away so I don’t think it saw us and I was just praying it didn’t turn round. I was just hoping the dog didn’t bark. “It was walking in front of us and just walked away. We were heading towards it so I turned around and hoped it didn’t smell my fear. “I didn’t even look behind me I was so scared.
“Then I ran home with the dog and phoned 999. They told me I had to call the non-emergency number and were asking me lots of questions like what shape its ears were and whether it was bigger than a Labrador.
“Its tail was right up and I can’t remember what its ears looked like because I was so scared and keen to get out of there.
“I’ve been on safari twice and it looked just like a leopard.
“I saw it long enough to know it was definitely a cat.
“It was right in Denton village. I have seen lots of people riding bikes and up there with kids and I’m terrified. I just wanted to tell everyone it could be out there.”
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police: “A sighting of a large brown wild cat with lines on its tail was reported to police on Sunday at 9.44am by a dog walker who had spotted it in a field north of St Leonards Road, Newhaven.
“The sighting has been noted by the wildlife officer for the area.”
She added that if anyone spots a suspected leopard or other big cat they should call the 101 police non-emergency number. But if you are being attacked or in fear of attack call 999."

Friday, 10 January 2014

The lack of updates on this blog have come about due to other commitments but sightings do still persist of so-called Sussex related 'big cats' with two more being reported this year, one in the region of Devil's Dyke and another in East Sussex at Hastings, both black leopards. In December 2013 there were eleven sightings reported to KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH with most of these being leopard and lynx, and only one report of a puma.